Outlive Your Life

15 years ago, shortly after Mike & I got married, we learned of Mike's father's love for Max Lucado books.  We'd get one and, feeling silly, replace the picture of Max on the back sleeve of the jacket with a picture of Mike, or the dog; after children, they all wanted a turn to replace their picture with Max.  It made us giggle wondering when or if Grandpa would discover that Max Lucado surprisingly carried many family characteristics.

Then Mike started reading the books and got hooked. I, having never read one, went to a Women of Faith conference, heard that Max was speaking on David and Goliath and yawned.  Seriously?  What else could I learn from that? A lot, I found out.

Yet, book purchases slowed as I realized that a lot of the 'new' books were actually snippets of prior books put together. The best of the best.  Not a bad idea really when you put together that the man has been writing for 25 years.

Then Thomas Nelson offered me an advanced copy of Max's newest book, Out Live Your Life, to review.  Suh-weet! Gift for Grandpa! Then I began reading and my delight turned into full engagement.  It's rare for me to say, "Read this book." or even "Get this book."  but I'm saying it.  In Max's unique writing voice, his illustrations take you down a path that you think is familiar until suddenly your vulnerable heart becomes aware of a new side.  "Ohhhh..."  New thoughts lead to new feelings and suddenly you've got a bit of mind renewing...and heart transformation.

The author begins by sharing a heart changing moment when in a short time frame he'd heard questions about what he would've done had he... been a German in WWII, or lived in the South during the civil rights.  All hypothetical questions that, just like me, could only been answered with "I hope I would've...."  But then someone asked him this: "When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day in which 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were hungry, how will they judge your response?"

Don't be afraid; this book won't make you feel guilty.  What it will do is stir your heart, your mind, and hopefully your feet to what God is specifically calling for you.  It'll help you walk through the book of Acts with new eyes and perhaps walk through your own day to day life with new perspective.

I shouldn't have been surprised, but was, when I closed the book and saw in small font on the bottom of the back, the publisher's words: "One hundred percent of the author's royalties from Outlive Your Life products will benefit children and families through World Vision and other ministries of faith-based compassion."

So there you go. Oh, and the book is being released today.(ebook version won't be released until the 14th though.) I've provided links on the side of the website. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.